Maintenance Centre

Not sure what lube to use on your chain? You are not alone, luckily we have compiled a little guide to help you make an informed decision on a very important part of keeping your bike running smoothly.

Welcome to the first entry into our Trail Tips series which takes a light hearted look at the many cycling uses for Zip ties. Have a read, hopefully have a laugh and find out why zip ties should always be in your riding bag.

The third and final entry into our Trail Tips series takes a light hearted look at the many uses for tyre levers. Have a read, hopefully have a laugh and find out why tyre levers should always be in your riding bag.

Mountain Bikes can be confusing especially with four different wheel sizes and a whole different selection of gears. In this guide we look at how to make a more informed choice when it comes to buying a mountain bike.

Not all forks are born the same. Quality suspension can be described as being two things; high quality & adjustable. The first question that needs to be answered is in regards to the adjustability of your fork or shock.

In this article we’ll be explaining how to change your air volume spacers in your Rock Shox or Fox Suspension forks. We’ll start by explaining what a volume spacer does, next, we’ll identify why you might want to add or remove a volume spacer or two.

Most off road riders tend to have a preference to clipless SPD or flat pedals. In this issue of the maintenance centre we’ll be explaining why embracing both the clip and the flat will make you a much better rider.

Every year pretty much to the week of the clocks going back the workshop parts cleaner goes into overdrive. Cassettes get clogged up chains turn black and jockey wheels look like they’ve put on a few pounds. This week is all about preventative maintenance and the proper maintenance of your drive train.

Any rider who has ever tinkered with truing a wheel will tell you that unless you know exactly what your doing just tightening to looser spokes won’t cut the mustard. The wheel is more likely to end up like an egg shaped figure of 8.

Do you recall that little blip in the middle of the year last year? It very rarely happens in the UK it is some sort of phenomenon to cyclists up and down the country. To some it’s merely a legend called ‘summer’. Blink and you’ll miss it.

A bicycle drive terrain is mostly classed as a consumable part by cyclists. Parts will need to be changed as and when they wear out and as with most mechanical wear the sooner you notice a part is past its best the cheaper it is to put right.

After running through a few ideas with the rest of the workshop guys for this weeks maintenance guide and an extremely cold morning ride to the shop we gathered inspiration from the near arctic conditions.

It's getting to that time of year again where the summer bike comes out and you're back out hitting the roads and trails ready for summer. However it's been almost a year since you gave the best bike any tender loving care.

From the stereotypical teenagers hardtail with a suspect bald rear tyre centre tread to the trail warriors tie wrap sidewall repair we’ve seen some sights. On average we pull at least one expired plastic gift card out of a tyre per week, It’s sole purpose you ask? Well it’s to prevent the inner tube from bursting through a semi-ripped sidewall.

The M-check is an essential maintenance check that every cyclist should be able to undertake quickly and easily. It consists of a comprehensive check of all the major components of your bike from front to back, from top to bottom.

Have you ever worked on your bike for hours on end trying to set up your gears only find that your local bike shop can do the same job in no time at all? Time to let you in on a little secret, we aren’t all wizards or bike whisperers, I know shock, horror!

Being able adjust a head set is just one of those jobs that will ultimately save you a early morning pre-ride trip down to the bike shop. As always we’re more than happy to help but being able to fix it yourself isn’t a terrible thing, is it? Provided that you have basic maintenance gear adjusting your headset should be a doddle.

Going tubeless has become much easier in recent years. The creation of tubeless conversion kits and the increasing popularity of factory fitted tubeless ready tyres amongst manufacturers mean that you’re only a rim strip a valve and a bit of sealant away from a conversion.

Depending on the type of brake you have the type of bike you ride, the gradient and type of terrain you ride and the amount of distance you cover you’ll have to replace your brake pads on a regular basis.